TAAT Global Alternatives Inc. (CSE:TAAT) recently announced the appointment of Michael Saxon as Chief Executive Officer. Saxon will also be joining as a member of its Board of Directors.
Michael Saxon is a 20-year global veteran of the tobacco industry. Since late 2020, Saxon has served on the TAAT Advisory Board. Saxon is likely to be essential in the company’s ability to scale the footprint of TAAT on a worldwide basis since he has extensive experience in achieving successful market penetration for tobacco products in the United States and other overseas markets. Former CEO Setti Coscarella will continue to serve as an advisor to the company.
Michael Saxon, who has been appointed Chief Executive Officer of TAAT, served in various positions for over 20 years with Altria and PMI. These positions included heading Altria’s Corporate Venture Fund and leading PMI’s business activities as General Manager for Norway and Denmark. Saxon has successfully led business units with full F&P responsibility; these units ranged from USD $100 million to USD $3 billion while consistently delivering record business results.
Michael Saxon is a seasoned consumer products executive with over 25 years of experience growing Fortune 100 companies in the US, Europe, and Asia. He has successfully influenced government policy and led business units with full P&L responsibility ranging from $100 million to $3 billion while operating in a variety of regulatory environments. In a wide range of market situations, he has established record income and market share outcomes, and he has succeeded in a variety of go-to-market models, including wholesale, distributor, and DSD.
Saxon brings a strong, inventive perspective to the table as a result of his experience developing new products and brands as well as leading large-scale transformation programs to generate organic growth and executing M&A deals to enter new markets. Saxon worked for Altria Group and Philip Morris International for over 20 years in various capacities. He most recently assisted in the formation of Trolley Ventures, a venture capital business based in Richmond, Virginia, that invests in early-stage start-ups.
Saxon, speaking on the announcement, said, “I’m excited to be joining the TAAT team…This is an exhilarating time in our industry, and TAAT is positioned to be a disruptor. With about eighteen months of actual market and consumer feedback, I believe TAAT is in an ideal position to accelerate its commercialization efforts. This will include focusing our efforts on the large and profitable USA market.”
Saxon would go on to say that they will also continue to focus on leveraging their development team to develop other tobacco alternative products that could disrupt the US and international tobacco markets. He reiterated that the company is looking to take advantage of that unique market opportunity while it continues to innovate and aims for widespread consumer adoption of TAAT.
Featured Image: Megapixl © Jirsak
